“Farther From Earth Than Ever Before”: Deep Dive Into NASA’s Upcoming Planned Missions to the Moon

• A journalist shared details about NASA's Artemis II mission that will send humans farther from Earth than ever recorded in history
• The 10-day journey will test the spacecraft's life support systems and radiation shelter as astronauts travel nearly half a million kilometres from Earth
• The mission is part of NASA's plan to eventually establish a permanent colony on the Moon and prepare for future Mars missions

A video journalist who focuses on science and technology shared exciting news about NASA's ambitious plans to return humans to the Moon. Content creator @cleoabram, a former Vox journalist, posted a clip on 2 February 2026 explaining the Artemis II mission that marks a major step in space exploration history.

The Artemis campaign represents NASA's bold vision to explore the Moon for scientific discovery and technological advancement. The ultimate goal is to learn how to live and work in another world as preparation for human missions to Mars. NASA is working with commercial and international partners to establish the first long-term presence on the Moon, treating the 4.5-billion-year-old celestial body as a time capsule full of secrets about our solar system.

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The Artemis II mission will be the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft around the Moon. After takeoff, the crew will spend 10 days testing critical systems that will keep them alive in the harsh environment of space. The astronauts will first travel around Earth in high orbit, checking the ship's life support, navigation, and communication systems.

NASA Artemis mission breaks records

The crew will then embark on a four-day trip to the Moon, travelling nearly half a million kilometres from Earth. The journey will take them 13,400 kilometres farther than the Apollo 13 record set back in 1970, making it the farthest humans have ever travelled from our planet. During this time, they'll test the radiation shelter, which acts like a protective fort against dangerous solar storms, and observe the far side of the Moon for future missions.

Using the Moon's gravity, the spacecraft will swing back toward Earth for what might be the most dangerous part of the entire mission: re-entry. The crew will pierce through the atmosphere at 40,000 kilometres per hour, with their heat shield protecting them from temperatures half as hot as the sun.

If Artemis II succeeds, the third mission will make history by landing humans back on the Moon for the first time in 50 years. Artemis III will send the first humans to explore the region near the lunar South Pole, while Artemis IV will debut humanity's first lunar space station.

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Watch the TikTok clip below:

Netizens question the NASA moon missions

Social media users had mixed reactions to the news TikToker @cleoabram shared, with some questioning why NASA needs so much testing:

@sailor asked:

"Wait, so they won't land on the Moon?"

@bayharboursharer said:

"It's weird how people around the world aren't excited about this. It's history waiting to be made."

@sunny_shrestha questioned:

"Weird how much testing they still need to do, considering they have already landed on the Moon."

@jay wrote:

"I'm confused, did the Moon change? We landed on it being less technically advanced, but now we're testing?"

@charley questioned:

"You would think that since we went there 56 years ago and our technological advancement, this would be a no-brainer. What is the deal?"

More happening on space and science

• Briefly News recently reported on a Cape Town photographer who captured stunning images of the full moon glowing orange over the Waterfront.
• In another story, skydivers revealed the true circular shape of a rainbow from thousands of feet above ground.
• A Cape Town man tried to find the rare Southern Lights as a geomagnetic storm swept over South Africa.

Source: Briefly News